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List of World Largest Libraries

This article gives the list of world largest libraries along with their country where they are located.

Introduction:

Largest Libraries in the World is an important topic for the General Awareness section. It is one of the popular GK topic. Before going through the list of World’s Largest Libraries, let us see some interesting facts about books and libraries.

Facts About World’s Largest Libraries:

1) 8/10 people in the world do not have a book in their home.

2) The largest library in the world is the Library of Congress. It is located in Washington D.C, USA. It has about 195 million items with more than 70 million books and other printed materials including maps, films, manuscripts which are used by over 27-29 visitors per day.

3) The second largest library in the world is the British Library. It has 150 million items which includes 48 million books, CDs and DVDs, 17 million journals etc.. It is located in London, UK.

4) France National Library holds third place with 80 million titles under its wings such as books, manuscripts etc.. It is headquartered at Paris, France.

5) The last place is taken by the Bibliothèque publique d’information (French) of Paris. It has just 40 million items like books, manuscripts, manuscripts etc.. and it is located at Paris, France.

6) The Stack Building of Princeton University houses the second largest library in the world with about 3 million volumes.

7) Donated by philanthropist Sam Walton in 1967, it keeps the third largest collection of rare books and manuscripts among the world archives in Arkansas State University. The collection is focused on 20th-century American literature, including the papers and personal papers of William Faulkner.

What is a Library?

A library is a collection of books, magazines, journals and other writings. A library may be public or private, family-owned or business-sponsored and include a bookshop. A web search can give you the list of world largest libraries.

Name & Country	Location	Catalogue size
British Library, United Kingdom	London and Boston Spa	170–200 million
Library of Congress, United States	Washington D.C.	170 million+
Library and Archives, Canada	Ottawa	54 million
Shanghai Library, China	Shanghai	50 million
Russian State Library, Russia	Moscow	47.2 million
Royal Danish Library, Denmark	Copenhagen and Aarhus	42.5 million
National Diet Library, Japan	Tokyo and Kyoto	41.9 million
Bibliothèque Nationale de France	Paris	40 million
National Library of China	Beijing	37.7 million
National Library of Russia	Saint Petersburg	36.5 million
German National Library, Germany	Leipzig and Frankfurt	36.1 million
Biblioteca Nacional de España, Spain	Madrid	33.1 million
Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia	Saint Petersburg	26.5 million
Berlin State Library, Germany	Berlin	23.4 million
Boston Public Library, United States	Boston, Massachusetts	22.4 million
New York State Library, United States	Albany, New York	20 million
Harvard Library, United States	Cambridge, Massachusetts	18.9 million
National Library of Sweden	Stockholm	18 million
Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine	Kiev	15.5 million
Yale Library, United States	New Haven, Connecticut	15.2 million
National Library of Iran	Tehran	15 million

Largest Libraries in India List

The table below gives the list of India’s largest library by volume , along with their establishment year:

Library Name	Est. Year
The National Library of India, Kolkata	1836
Delhi Public Library, New Delhi	1951
Saraswathi Mahal Library Or Tanjore Maharaja Serfoji’s Sarasvati Mahal Library, Tamil Nadu	1918
Anna Centenary Library, Chennai, Tamil Nadu	2010
Krishnadas Shama Central Library, Goa	1832
Allahabad Public Library, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh	1864
Smt. Hansa Mehta Library, Baroda, Gujarat	1950
Connemara Public Library, Chennai, Tamil Nadu	1896
State Central Library, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala	1829

Conclusion:

Also, overall it is clear that there are other libraries in India which are more than 200K volumes. The State Library of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, one of the largest libraries in the world, has an estimated collection size of 2.5 million books. Thus, it holds 4th place among libraries in India with specific reference to its collection. Overall it is clear that there are other libraries in India that are more than 200K volumes. The State Library of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, one of the largest libraries in the world has an estimated collection size of 2.5 million books

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the Railway Examination Preparation.

How many books are kept in British Library?

The British Library has more than 24 million items and it is located at London, UK.

What is the volume of books in British Library?

The total number of books held by the British Library is more than 24 million.

What is the volume of the book in Donated by Sam Walton's and kept in Arkansas State University?

The collection includes more than 3 million different books. Thus, it holds 3rd place in the list of the world’...Read full

How many items are held in the French National Library?

With 80 million titles under its wings, France National Library takes fourth place among libraries in the world with...Read full

How many items are held in the National Library of China?

With 37.7 million items, the National Library of China holds the fifth spot among the libraries in the world with re...Read full

How many items are held in the British Library?

The British Library has more than 24 million items and it is located in London, UK.

How many items are kept in the State Central Library?

The State Central Library of Kerala holds more than 1829 books with a total volume of